Ernest L. Ruddy was born on 1 November 1870[1] in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
[2] He worked in the print department of the Los Angeles Times, before relocating to Canada in 1894.
[1] Ruddy was the president of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America from 1914 to 1915.
[2] In 1916, Ruddy and sales agent Nathan L. Nathanson supported the creation of the Regent Theatre Company, which took over the existing Majestic Theatre in Toronto and turned it into the Regent Theatre based on architectural design work by Thomas W.
[3][4] The company gained the exclusive rights to show Paramount Films in Canada.